Building better video ad experiences with HyBid SDK

Full-screen video ads have become a powerful tool for in-app advertising, capturing attention for both branding and performance campaigns. In this blog, we’ll explore how publishers and advertisers can deliver exceptional full-screen video ad experiences with the HyBid SDK. We’ll unpack top-performing ad formats like interstitials and rewarded ads, when to use video vs. HTML creative, and which ad features specifically boost click-throughs and reduce app drop-off rates. Rewarded and interstitial full-screen ad formats Imagine ad formats as a container and the creative as the content that fills them. For video ads, we find that rewarded and interstitial full-screen ad formats are the ideal containers for video creative. The HyBid SDK supports many ad formats — including banner, MRect, full-screen and more — but let’s focus on rewarded and interstitial today. Rewarded video Rewarded videos can be displayed at transition points or initiated voluntarily by users when they want to earn extra in-app currency or points. While publishers have the flexibility to choose how and where to position these ads, the best practice is to make them user-initiated. This approach ensures that the user experience remains uninterrupted and more enjoyable. Interstitial ads Video interstitial ads are full-screen ads that appear at natural transition points, such as between game levels or during pauses. Featuring countdowns and close buttons, video interstitials offer users the option to exit the ad, enhancing user control and engagement. The creative These ad formats can contain static or animated images, HTML, or video creatives. All these creative types can be used with various ad formats, such as banner, native, interstitial, and rewarded ads. Video ads Video ads offer a short, and immersive experience that leverages the engaging nature of mobile apps. These ads can be up to 30 seconds long, making them ideal for capturing user attention and raising brand awareness. Video ads create a lasting impression on the audience by delivering compelling content that effectively showcases the app’s features and benefits. Playable ads Playable ads are interactive advertisements that allow users to experience a mini-game or demo, giving them a taste of the game mechanics before downloading the app. This interactive experience makes the ad memorable and enhances user engagement. The functionality behind playable ads is powered by HTML, a lightweight code that enables these interactive elements. This type of engagement not only boosts brand recognition but also effectively simulates the in-game experience for potential users. HTML creatives are particularly effective when utilized within interstitial and rewarded ad formats. Optimizing performance campaigns The difference between branding and performance campaigns lies in their objectives and strategies. For branding campaigns, the primary goal is to increase brand exposure by ensuring the audience completes the video. In contrast, performance campaigns aim to drive specific actions, such as app downloads, to streamline the ad funnel. To optimize performance campaigns, the best practice involves: Video ad content: Engaging and concise to capture immediate interest. Companion ad: An interactive demo of the game to encourage user interaction. Custom End Card/StoreKit: A tailored end screen that directs users to download the app.   4 elements to improve engagement and ad experience for users There are two distinct layers in the ad structure. The first layer is the creative content, which includes elements such as videos and HTML, as previously discussed. The second layer consists of enhancements added by the exchanges, such as user interface (UI) elements and new touchpoints to help a campaign be more effective. Let’s look at four touchpoints publishers can activate for engaging campaigns in the HyBid SDK. Custom End Cards A second or custom end card is an additional layer at the end of an ad, designed to boost engagement and provide a final interaction opportunity. It is often used in triple-stage video ads, serving as the second end card.  This feature is also referred to as a second end card or dual end card. However, in the context of the HyBid SDK, it is known as a Custom End Card.  This type of Custom End Card integrates information from the app store, such as the app logo and name, which are not part of the original creative content. https://verve.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Custom-End-Card.mp4 StoreKit Auto Open As part of Apple’s StoreKit framework, an App Store page or a specific app’s product page can automatically open within the app, eliminating the need for users to exit the app. This reduces drop-off rates and minimizes the intrusiveness of the ad experience. StoreKit Auto Open is activated by a user’s touch on the screen, and it slides from the bottom to the top. https://verve.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Storekit-Auto-Open.mp4 StoreKit vs. Auto StoreKit StoreKit is user-initiated, meaning the user actively engages with it. In contrast, an Auto StoreKit is triggered automatically by the SDK without user initiation. While both use the same UI components, the key difference lies in how they are activated. SKOverlay Another feature of Apple’s StoreKit framework allows users to install apps without leaving the current app. It appears as a banner that pops up at the bottom of a video ad, providing a seamless and non-intrusive installation opportunity.https://verve.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SKOVERLAY.mp4 Custom Call-to-Action (CTA) The Custom CTA is a compact banner positioned at the bottom of the ad, featuring a call-to-action button. This tailored CTA element is designed to catch your app user’s attention and ensure a smooth transition from the ad to the app download. CTAs are typically used when full-screen clickability is disabled, ensuring that clicks are more organic and genuine. Video ad rendering: interstitial vs. rewarded video Depending on the ad exchange, full-screen video ads can feature a range of touchpoints and configurations, such as skippability delays. For app publishers using HyBid SDK, here’s what the default configurations are for interstitial and rewarded video ads.   Interstitial  Rewarded Video  Skippability 5 sec by default, skip button countdown indicator 0 to 30 sec + 5 sec if end card Skip button size/area 30 x 30 px 30 x 30 px Skip button location  Top left Top left Close button location  Top left Top left Default audio…

Back to Basics: A quick guide to SKOverlay banners

What are SKOverlay banners, and how can they help your monetization and advertising strategy? In this blog, we’ll go back to the basics on this innovative ad format that is helping demand partners improve their app install campaigns, and generating higher revenue for publishers. What are SKOverlay banners? SKOverlay banners are small click-to-install banners that appear at the bottom of interstitial ad formats like playable or rewarded ads. Uniquely, these banner ads are not only clickable, but also allow for immediate, in-banner downloads of the advertised app. As a result, users can download a new app without ever leaving the native app. Available on iOS, SKOverlay banner placements are transforming app-install campaigns. Why do advertisers and marketers love SKOverlay banners? For demand partners, SKOverlay banners help drive app installs. As a user is engaging with the ad, they will see an option to download the advertised app. Historically, ads redirected users to the App Store, where they had to manually select to download the app. With SKOverlay banners, however, they can simply confirm install/purchase right from the banner ad. The banner triggers an install prompt. Upon completion, the new app appears on the user’s device, and their in-app experience is uninterrupted. By keeping the download in the native app experience, dropoff is less, brand sentiment improves, and of course, app installs increase. Additionally, for rewarded video ads, after a user installs the app they can continue to watch the video ad to reap the reward upon video completion. What are the benefits of SKOverlay banners for publishers? Quite simply, SKOverlay banners keep users engaged with the publisher’s app. With any ad that causes a redirect, users are less likely to return to the app. By creating an opportunity to install the advertised app without a redirect to the App Store, users have a better UX, and they stay engaged with publishers’ content. Of course, as marketers and demand partners see better returns on their KPIs, they are willing to spend more for placement. As a result, publishers can also enjoy higher eCPMs with these SKOverlay placements. Getting started At Smaato, we make it easy to enjoy this ad format, along with countless others. For publishers, download the latest version of our SDK to ensure you can monetize SKOverlay banner inventory. Integrate with Smaato’s NextGen SDK for iOS. For demand partners, get in touch with your client partner manager to learn more! As always, we’re here if you have any questions. This blog post originally appeared on Smaato’s website. Smaato is part of Verve.